WAIS kayakers Jesse Phillips and Stephen Bird secured a fifth national title at the Australian Sprint Championships at Adelaide’s West Lakes on the weekend, highlighting a strong campaign from WA’s contingent.
Following on from Alana Nicholls’ impressive dual championship winning efforts earlier in the race program, Phillips and Bird won their fifth consecutive national title in the men’s K2 200m setting 35.28 to finish ahead of Lachlan Tame and Ken Wallace. The bronze medal went to another WAIS pairing of Brodie Holmes and Todd Brewer.
The Olympic and World Championship representatives are known for their quick reaction time off the line, and it was this burst of speed that again helped them to national honours, with the WA duo holding off a flying finish from individual K1 200m champion Tame and Beijing Olympic gold medallist Wallace by just .26 of a second.
Phillips and Bird expressed their pleasure at having won a fifth straight championship title in Adelaide.
“To come out and knock that out of the way and win our fifth consecutive title is very pleasing and we were happy to put a signature race on the water”, Phillips said.
Asked how it compared to previous years Bird responded, “In terms of leading up to the event it was a lot more relaxed, we have had a lot more tense ones so that one we felt with the experience that we were in control a bit more so it was a solid result.”
Bird did relinquish his K1 200m title however, with NSW’s Lachlan Tame producing a high quality race to win his first ever individual title. Tame clocked 37.16 to win by .13 of second ahead of WAIS athlete Brodie Holmes, with Bird third and Phillips fourth, in a strong result for the West Australians.
Completing the men’s 200m competition roster, Phillips, Bird, Holmes and Brewer combined for a dominant victory in the men’s K4 200m, flying home in a quick 32.92 for victory.
Alana Nicholls was unable to complete a personal hattrick of national titles, after settling for silver behind NSW’s Jo Brigden Jones in the final of the women’s K1 200m event. Brigden jones managed a double of her own, teaming with South Australian Hannah Davis to win the women’s K2 200m title. WAIS athlete Jaime Roberts earned silver in the event, partnering NSW’s Naomi Flood for second place.
Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete and 2013 World Championship representative Brock Ingram claimed victory in the men’s K1 200m LTA in the paracanoe events, and has put himself firmly in frame for selection at this year’s World Championships in Moscow in August.
Following the conclusion of the 2014 Australian Sprint Championships, WAIS has had its highest ever contingent of athletes selected onto Australian representative teams for this year’s international competitions.
Alana Nicholls, Jesse Phillips, Stephen Bird, Brodie Holmes and Jaime Roberts have all been selected for the senior Australian World Cup teams, which will then determine selection for the 2014 World Championships in Moscow, from August 6-10.
WAIS athlete Alex Graham has earned selection onto the Australian junior team in the men’s K1 200m for this year’s junior world championships, were he will be joined by two Western Australian members of the underpinning high performance squad in Nick Pond and Sam McTigue, who will contest the K2 200m. These selections come on top of Shannon Reynolds’ recent selection for Australia in the U23 squad, with the Junior and U23 World Championships to be held combined, in Szeged, Hungary from July 17-20.
Completing the WAIS selections, is para-canoe athlete Brock Ingram, who is officially selected for this year’s senior World Championships in Moscow, following his strong performances at nationals.
